I was actually surprised there was no mention on this site of the attack on the Liberty.

Anyone who is trying to sort out the events occuring in the US right now should be aware of this incident, even though it happened in the Johnson Administration.

Briefly, on June 8th, 1967, the USS Liberty was patroling in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. The Liberty was a surveillance ship, and may have been intercepting and/or monitoring communications involving the conflict between Israel and Egypt. It was not an *armed vessel*. It's armament was limited to 50 cals and small arms to defend against boarding.

The Liberty was flying US colors, as well as the usual markings of a Navy vessel. It was overflown by Israeli reconnaissance several times during the day.

At 2 pm (local) the Israelis atacked the Liberty. The first attack was an air assult by fighters that had no markings (according to reports by the crew). Rockets, cannons and napalm were used to knock out communication towers, control areas, and armaments.

The crew of the Liberty had to patch together communications equipment as well as overcome jamming to call for aid, and contacted (eventually) the 6th fleet. Forces of the fleet local to the Liberty acknowledged receipt and two vessels, the USS Saratoga and the USS America launched aircraft for aid.

Both air flights were recalled by the White House.

Quote:

RADM Geis, then commanding the carriers in the Sixth Fleet, called Washington personally to confirm the order. SecDef McNamara came on the line, then President Johnson. Johnson indicated to Geis that the aircraft were to be returned, that he would not have his allies embarrassed, and that he didn't care who was killed or what was done to the ship. Geis, like any good sailor, recalled the aircraft.http://home.cfl.rr.com/gidusko/liberty/

The attack was continued by the Israeli navy, using torpedo boats. The Liberty was hit by torpedos, as well as having her decks raked by machine gun fire and cannon fire. The order to abandon ship was given and recinded when crewmen could not get onto the decks or launch the lifeboats. Lifeboats that were launched were machine gunned in the water. Fire crews had to abandon their stations because of machine gun fire and because the hoses were targeted and destroyed.

The SOS was sent *in the clear* (this means not encrypted, and open to any vessel to hear). As soon as the SOS was sent, the Israelis broke off the fore fight. An Israli helecopter of infantry was sighted, and the Capt ordered the crew to stand by for boarders, but the helicopter flew off. The torpedo boats contacted the Liberty to see *if she needed assistence*.

The Liberty lost 34 killed in action and 173 wounded.

Isreal stated (this is the f*ckling truth) they thought the USS Liberty, a US Navy Reconn Vessel, was an *Egyptian Horse Transport*.

The entire incident was whitewashed by the Johnson Administration in a shameless way.

Quote:

The defenseless crew, initially unable to report their plight or summon assistance and with only themselves to rely upon, fought heroically to save themselves and their ship. In recognition of their effort in this single action, they were ultimately awarded collectively one Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, eleven Silver Stars, twenty Bronze Stars (with "V" device), nine Navy Commendation Medals, and two hundred and four Purple Hearts. In addition, the ship was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. http://www.ussliberty.org/report/report.htm

To this day the crew of the Liberty has tried to get their story heard, and it continues to fall on deaf ears in the halls of our Israeli owned Congress and Exec Branch.

Why did the Israelis attack a US vessel? Could they have been hoping to blame it on Egypt and draw the US into the war? Could it be that they didn't want the US to overhear what was happening on the Gaza Strip?

The bombing of Lybia was the result of a Mossad operation planting false information. Six Mossad agents were found recording the carnage on 9-11, and their van tested positive for explosives. Mossad has been caught masquarading around as al-qaida on several occasions. Mossad is the intellegence arm of the Israeli government (their version of the CIA).

Some information on the USS LIberty. It is being brought back to light as we speak. The crew members have been in touch with G.W. Bush and want an investigation still, so they can go on with their lives. They were secretly given medals, but no mention on them that they were attacked by Israel.

Alk, what you need is a built in crap detector as Sam Clemens would say. Ask silly questions like "Whats really going on here" and "How does this happen" and "What purpose and meaning is this to the bigger picture"?Without the correct answer there, all your analyses no matter how technically perfect, will avail you naught. Questions like "Why" are usually irrelevant, but are a good starting point. Listen to the story given, then seek out the truth from what scant information can be garnered. Spot deception and act on it.

The Israeli attacks killed 34 US seamen and wounded 171 out of a crew of 297, the worst loss of American naval personnel from hostile action since World War II.

Less than an hour after the attack, Israel told Washington its forces had committed a 'tragic error.' Later, Israel claimed it had mistaken 'Liberty' for an ancient Egyptian horse transport. US Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, and Joint Chiefs of Staff head, Admiral Thomas Moorer, insisted the Israeli attack was deliberate and designed to sink 'Liberty.' So did three CIA reports; one asserted Israel's Defense Minister, Gen. Moshe Dayan, had personally ordered the attack.

In contrast to American outrage over North Korea's assault on the intelligence ship 'Pueblo,' Iraq's mistaken missile strike on the USS 'Stark,' last fall's bombing of the USS 'Cole' in Aden, and the recent US-China air incident, the savaging of 'Liberty' was quickly hushed up by President Lyndon Johnson and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara.

The White House and Congress immediately accepted Israel's explanation and let the matter drop. Israel later paid a token reparation of US $6 million. There were reports two Israeli pilots who had refused to attack 'Liberty' were jailed for 18 years.

Why did Israel try to sink a naval vessel of its benefactor and ally? Most likely because 'Liberty's' intercepts flatly contradicted Israel's claim, made at the war's beginning on 5 June, that Egypt had attacked Israel, and that Israel's massive air assault on three Arab nations was in retaliation. In fact, Israel began the war by a devastating, Pearl-Harbor style surprise attack that caught the Arabs in bed and destroyed their entire air forces.

Israel was also preparing to attack Syria to seize its strategic Golan Heights. Washington warned Israel not to invade Syria, which had remained inactive while Israel fought Egypt. Bamford says Israel's offensive against Syria was abruptly postponed when 'Liberty' appeared off Sinai, then launched once it was knocked out of action. Israel's claim that Syria had attacked it could have been disproved by 'Liberty.'

Most significant, 'Liberty's' intercepts may have shown that Israel seized upon sharply rising Arab-Israeli tensions in May-June 1967 to launch a long-planned war to invade and annex the West Bank, Jerusalem, Golan and Sinai.

Surviving 'Liberty' crew members would not be silenced. They kept demanding an open inquiry and tried to tell their story of deliberate attack to the media. Israel's government worked behind the scenes to thwart these efforts, going so far as having American pro-Israel groups accuse 'Liberty's' survivors of being 'anti-Semites' and 'Israel-haters.' Major TV networks cancelled interviews with the crew. A book about the 'Liberty' by crewman James Ennes' was dropped from distribution. The Israel lobby branded him 'an Arab propagandist.'

This is standard procedure for Israel, to claim anti semitism bias as a cover up. It still goes on. When you've been picked on for a thousand years, it is a time worn standby that works. The truth about the Arab Israeli war was kept secret from us in 1967 and we always thought or were fed the information that the Arabs attacked the Israels secretly, when it turned out to be the other way around. I remember our history teacher saying that this is the beginning of an end of the world scenario. The 60's were a naiive time and the information war was in full swing. Whoever owned the information owned the knowledge.

Liberty. Mistake, or stab in the back? The truth about America's 'ally.'

On June 8, 1967, 34 American sailors of the USS Liberty lost their lives serving their country. These Americans died when Israel, America’s “ally,” launched a murderous attack on the virtually unarmed American intelligence ship. To this day, many Americans are unaware that this attack even took place. Recently, PRAVDA.Ru had the opportunity to interview Mr. Hrankowski, a survivor and crew member of the USS Liberty.

Mr. Hrankowski- There is no doubt in my mind that the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty was deliberate. Israel has claimed that it was a mistake and that they were firing upon an arab horse freighter. The El Quesir was the name of the Arab ship. It was tied up and not sea worthy during the Six Day War, and the Israelis knew this.

As for our Flag. All American ships fly the flag. Ours was flying until the Israelis shot it down and within seconds another was put up. It was our holiday Ensign, sized 9 feet by 13 feet.

As for the slow moving aircraft. Planes started flying over us and checking us out at 5:30am and did so 9 to 13 times until the attack at 2:00PM. There is no doubt in my mind that they knew who they were attacking.

A message from the USS Liberty got to the USS Saratoga 9 minutes into the attack. The USS Saratoga launched a flight of fighters immediately and they were called back. This happened three different times throughout the attack. Robert MacNamara called them back twice, and President Johnson called them back once, saying his thoughts were not for the USS Liberty. He did not want to embarrass his ally Israel. That act did leave us to get murdered, and what it actually is called is abandonment.

What prompted the Israelis to terminate their assault?

I'm not sure what caused them to terminate the attack, but after 2 hours, they could not sink us. I would think that their time had run out.

How long did it take for American help to arrive?

It took 16 hours for the American fleet to get to us. But that night, while we were sailing to the sixth fleet, a Soviet ship offered help to us. They said that they would stay just at the horizon and if our ship was going to go down, they would help us.

In a recent letter to President Bush, survivor Phillip F. Tourney claimed that the crew of the USS Liberty were “ordered to remain silent under threat of court martial, imprisonment, or worse, and we all know what worst meant.” Did you yourself experience such threats?

Admiral Kidd was the one who ordered us silent. That was a direct order to all of the crew. I heard it myself that day.

You ask if the USS Liberty attack was covered up. My answer is simple: yes, it was. The question still remains today as to why. And with a Congressional Investigation, all the facts should be laid out and the reasons known.

Do you keep in contact with fellow Liberty survivors? If so, do they express hope that American will reinvestigate the attack?

We USS Liberty survivors are always in contact. We all fight for the same thing. They want the investigation to happen soon, so we can all go on with our lives.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I thank PRAVDA.Ru for the time to express my views of the June 8, 1967 attack on my ship, the USS Liberty. I do hope your country will be able to see the new film by the BBC Dead in the Water by Mr. Christopherer Mitchell. There is also a new book that goes along with the new film. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Mr. Peter Hounam and is due to come out very shortly. The film and book open the incident up very well.

Questions compiled by Justin Cowgill

Heres a book about secrets that the government covers up. it includes the USS Liberty story.

The attack on 'Liberty' was fading into obscurity until last week, when intelligence expert James Bamford came out with Body of Secrets, his latest book about the National Security Agency. In a stunning revelation, Bamford writes that unknown to Israel, a US Navy EC-121 intelligence aircraft was flying high overhead the 'Liberty,' electronically recorded the attack. The US aircraft crew provides evidence that the Israeli pilots knew full well that they were attacking a US Navy ship flying the American flag.

A member of President Johnson's staff believed there was a more complex reason for the cover-up: Johnson offered Jewish liberals unconditional backing of Israel, and a cover-up of the 'Liberty' attack, in exchange for the liberal toning down their strident criticism of his policies in the then raging Vietnam War.

Israel, which claims it fought a war of self defense in 1967 and had no prior territorial ambitions, will be much displeased by Bamford's revelations. Those who believe Israel illegally occupies the West Bank and Golan will be emboldened.

Much more important, the US government's long, disgraceful cover-up of the premeditated attack on 'Liberty' has now burst into the open and demands full-scale investigation. After 34 years, the voices of 'Liberty's' dead and wounded seamen must finally be heard.

Good starting point. Why does America spy on its ally Israel? Why does Israel spy on its ally America? Why don't they trust each other?

Get out your crap detector and get busy. Send me your report by tomorrow AM.